Without a doubt, looking younger is one of the most common aesthetic goals today, and as a result, researchers have developed countless ways to tackle various signs of aging—one look at the menu of laser treatments and other cosmetic services we offer at Laser Lights makes that clear. But the quest for a “fountain of youth” has also taken us to some very strange places. Check out some of the oddest facial rejuvenation remedies people are trying and, if you’re like us and prefer a proven therapy instead, learn about the effective treatments that can address aging in similar ways.

Bee Venom Facial

A bee’s venom is what gives a bee sting its, well, sting. Some beauty enthusiasts have used bee venom as part of a topical facial treatment, with the theory that it helps your body produce extra collagen (the protein that makes skin firm and youthful).

Réjuvapen® stimulates wrinkle-reducing collagen using dozens of tiny needles, and specially formulated peptides or human growth factors are used to maximize the results.

Snail Secretions

As you’ll come to notice, creepy critters are a popular theme in unconventional skin treatments. The trails that snails leave behind contain compounds like allatonin and glycolic acid, which can remove the outer layers of dead skin cells that make skin appear older and duller. In most cases, the snail serum is used as part of a packaged skincare product, but there are some salons which will actually place snails on a patient’s face to crawl around for an hour or so.

Try this instead: chemical peels

Like snail secretions, chemical peels focus on removing the outer layer of dead and damaged skin cells to reveal younger, brighter skin, but they do it in a precisely controlled way. Plus, they’re available in a variety of forms to focus on your individual concerns.

Geisha Facial

This one sounds a bit less gross than the first two treatments, right? Not so much. Feces from birds (nightingales, specifically) are dried and ground into a powder before being mixed with rice bran and water or natural enzymes to make a paste which is massaged into the skin. The method was developed by Japanese geishas, who found that it removed their thick makeup and improved the skin problems that years of the chemical-heavy makeup had caused, because the facials exfoliated, brightened, and moisturized their skin.

Try this instead: Silk Dermalinfusion®

You’ve probably heard of microdermabrasion, and Silk Dermalinfusion® is a new take on this tried-and-true procedure. The treatment exfoliates away the dead and damaged skin cells on the surface while also applying a topical solution that’s tailored to your aesthetic concerns, giving the skin a younger, smoother, and more radiant complexion.

SYN®-AKE

Yes, this product’s name sounds like “snake” for a reason. A particular breed of snake has venom that causes quick paralysis. Swiss chemists created SYN®-AKE as a synthetic form of this venom, and it’s added to beauty products and applied topically because the paralytic properties relax the facial muscles that can cause wrinkles.

Try this instead: Dysport® or Botox®

FDA-approved Dysport® and Botox® are cosmetic facial injections that have been proven to relax the facial muscles that cause fine lines and wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes. Treatments are quick and don’t require any downtime so you can get right back to your day, and results last for months at a time.

At Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center, we love giving our patients the latest and greatest cosmetic treatments. However, we also ensure the safety and effectiveness of any procedure before adding it to our menu of services, and we encourage you to use caution when choosing at-home skincare products as well. To discuss which individualized treatments can best address your aesthetic concerns, schedule a consultation with us. Or, to see the latest news from the world of cosmetic procedures and to hear about our special offers, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.